Finland
is a land of dualities, of wilderness and urbanity, primitiveness and
sophistication, melancholy and joy. Although the Finns have created
some of the most beautiful and elegant home designs, no one loves nature
more than they do. The Finns will drop the trappings of civilization
to run for the hills; they will leave the warmth of the sauna to plunge
into the icy sea; they will spend the day skiing across rugged terrain
in the coldest and darkest of weather, then come into town to dance
the night away at a local nightclub.

This duality is apparent in other areas too. For years, the extremely
difficult Finnish language was considered the language of peasants,
scorned by the Swedes and Swedish-speaking Finns. Now Finnish and Swedish
co-exist, with street signs in both (the Finnish version appears first),
and towns are often referred to by both their Finnish and Swedish names.

In the matter of food, as well, Finland offers two distinct cuisines.
There is, so to speak, a fork in the road to the kitchen, with attention
given to Russian as well as Finnish cuisine.

It is said that the Finns are a silent people, and many Finns, on first
meeting, do appear somewhat reticent and shy—but once they have crossed
the barrier of introductions and the usual polite exchanges, they are
not in the least tongue-tied. In fact, these feisty residents of the
fifth largest country in Europe have had to speak up loudly and clearly
to retain their own identity and gain their independence. Having clawed
its way out of the grasp of both Sweden and the czars, in the late 20th
century Finland has proven itself the equal of any nation. No longer
do people speak of "little Finland." The only country to pay off its
war debt, Finland has emerged from centuries of struggle with pride
in its own accomplishments and identity.

Program Details

Academic YearPrerequisites: NoneDates:August to following July*Accommodation:Homestay placement in a family Placement:Throughout Finland

Academic SemesterPrerequisites: NoneDates:Fall September:
August to January*--Spring Semester:
February to July*Accommodation:Homestay placement in a family Placement:Throughout Finland

Summer IndividualPrerequisites: NoneDates:Four to six week
programs with flexible dates
from June to August Accommodation:Homestay placement in a family Placement:Throughout FinlandLanguage Classes:Optional

Summer
GroupPrerequisites:NoneDates:Two to four week
programs with flexible dates from
June to August Accommodation: Homestay placement
in a family Placement: Throughout FinlandLanguage Classes:Optional